On Living On Mision

July 2011 |

“On Living On Mission”

We want to discover how to “be onMISSION in everything we do.” It is not a categorical “serving time” from “fun time” or “going” from “staying.” Rather, we want to “take our everyday, ordinary life—our sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering” (Romans 12:1, The Message).

On June 26-July 1, the Junior High youth group were onMission at the Week of Hope in Indianapolis. The team loved serving together in a Indy neighborhood, encouraging each other, and enjoying sweet moments of worshiping God together.

On June 23-25, the High School youth group were onMission in DuPage County. Each day of ministry was begun by Asking The Lord (ATL) He we could serve our community in His name that day. Obedience and recognizing God’s heart for our local community were strong messages to us.

On June 26-July 1, the High School youth group were onMission in the Roger’s Park neighborhood of Chicago. Through a CMA church plant (Family Empowerment Center), we discovered how to love our diverse neighborhoods like Jesus would.

In their own words, here are some of the blog posts from our students. (Please consider reading the full blogs too: Jr High | High School)

Angelica: I took a picture of a little girl named Kiera. She asked me if I could print it out for her so she could send it to her mom telling her to come home. I’m pretty sure her mother is in jail. We printed the picture and I helped her write a note to her mom. Her story made me so emotional; I just had to do it for her.

Gianna: Today I spent my morning worshiping God. I guess you never realize how amazing it feels to be away from everyday distractions like cell phones (which I do miss). When you do things for the joy of the Lord the happiness you feel is so much more amazing than anything I’ve ever felt before. It’s good to know you can help someone in need ( today it was Linda who’s house we helped organize, I’ll also be there tomorrow). I miss home a little but let me just tell you I’m so glad to be here.

Meghan: This trip has been one of the best by far. I have learned so much about myself, my faith has grown so much, and I have become so much closer with everyone in the group. I can’t even believe how much God has worked in my heart and in the hearts of my teammates.

Eric, Gia & Kalieanne: Yesterday we were told to go out into Chicago on a prayer walk, barefoot! As we were walking along we came upon Chris who asked us if we were part of a religious group. When we said “yes, we’re Christians” that sparked a spiritual conversation as he told us there is no God and he lives for himself. Not able to get a word in, we walked away confused, frustrated, and a bit emotional. This was a huge wake up call to how the world really is, and a fantastic learning experience about the spiritual warfare that’s present in the world.

Sara & Sarah: Today we depended on the Lord’s voice to lead us in what we should do for serving.

Katie: We continued to pray and ask for guidance from the Lord. We ended up making birthday presents for a girl whose father just had open-heart surgery on her birthday,

Arianna: After the Sermon last night, we had sanctuary time for however long we needed. I went and sat down by myself and just started praying…for my friends, family and some things that have been on my mind lately. Then all at once i started bawling my eyes out. Almost Immediately Hannah and Gianna came over and started praying. Followed by almost everyone else. I am so blessed to have all these wonderful friends so deep rooted in Christ.

Stephanie: We had a sanctuary time and there were pictures of Jesus…and earlier I had asked God to show me a sign or just move in me. so when I was sitting there I kept thinking of Jesus on the cross saying “I love you Stephanie” and “I did this for you.”

Eric: Last night i came across the verse John 14:14. it explains to us that if we pray in true faith, anything the we ask for in God’s name, He will give to us. Needless to say, God answers prayers! As Nicole and I ran this morning, I recognized a man I had met earlier in the week and approached him introducing myself again, and he recognized me. We stepped to the side and he explained to me that he had no food to eat this morning and he was having trouble coming across money. I prayed with him on the spot, in front of all the people passing through the Starbucks. As we finished I realized the light in his face grew and i knew something had come over him. This was a fantastic experience for me and I only have God to thank.

Nicole: We just got done picking up some trash in the neighborhood and then working in the community garden. The teens are doing an awesome job of being in the community and talking with people that pass by or playing with the kids. I’m so impressed by their boldness and kindness!

Gia: This trip has been going GREAT! During the mornings we go on fun prayer walks with our phenomenal leaders, and then its time for the VBS day camp. The kids are so beyond fun, they’re crazy, hilarious, and the cutest little things I have ever met.

Meghan: And guys, it doesn’t end here at the end of the trip. Take everything home; don’t go on a spiritual high. Treat every day like a missions trip. Look for the broken people and DO something about it. I love you all.